Evanđeosko teološko veleučilište

Osijek, Hrvatska

What is true lordship, ruling the earth?

(Essay)

Course: Christology and Soteriology

Lecturer: dr.sc. David Kovačević

Student: Sebastian Tadić

Year: I.

Osijek, June, 2023

Introduction

The Lord Jesus Christ is Creator, and as Creator He is the rightful owner of His creation. He
created all things, and everything belongs to Him. Though God has authority over earth as the
Creator, He has given a significant dominion on the earth to the children of men. As it says in
Psalm 115:16:

„The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of
men“.

This dominion given by God means that men and women should use the earth and its
resources for the good of humanity, as wise and thoughtful stewards. We can use, but we
should not waste and destroy. All is his, but we are his substantial heirs and trustees. There is
generosity in the phrase, ‘the earth he has given’; there is responsibility as well, for we are not
its makers, nor is it simply ‘there’ as meaningless matter to exploit. Behind the gift is the
Giver. Aim of this essay is to explain what is true lordship over the earth that God gave us to
govern? How are we suppose to achieve true lordship?
Christians Impact on Earth

In the minds of many, both inside and outside the church, there remains deep-seated doubt
that the Christian community can or will respond to today’s Earth threatening issues. In his
1967 article in Science magazine—still the most oft- quoted article in the magazine’s history
—historian Lynn White Jr. claimed that “Christianity bears a huge burden of guilt” for the
current ecological crisis1.White indicted the Judeo-Christian heritage for being “the most
anthropocentric religion the world has seen” and argued that this religious heritage provided
the major impulse in the West for the conquest of nature through technology: “Both our
present science and our present technology are so tinctured with orthodox Christian arrogance
toward nature that no solution for our ecologic crisis can be expected from them alone.” 2
While White’s historical analysis can be nuanced, his conclusion has had a deep impact on
scientists and ethicists3.White believes that throughout its history, Christianity has reinforced
humanity's despotic dominance over Creation, which is rooted in an anthropocentric reading
of Genesis 1. This premise needs to be changed4.The modern ideology that humanity has a
God-given right to conquer and oppress nature solely for its own absolute purposes rose to
prominence during the Renaissance, and had deep roots in ancient Greek thought and classic
philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle5.One of the earliest and most respected writers on the
history of ecology within Christianity, Paul Santmire, writes, "Theological tradition in the
West is neither ecologically bankrupt... nor replete with immediately accessible, albeit long-
forgotten, ecological riches hidden everywhere in its deeper vaults."6

1
Swoboda, A. J., „Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology“ (Grand Rapids: Backer Academics, 2014), 105 – 106
2
Ibid
3
Ibid
4
Ibid
5
Ibid
6
Ibid, 107
Stewardship

We all live in the same world, with its limited and frequently non-renewable resources.
Christians believe that this planet belongs to God via creation, redemption, and sustenance,
and that he has given it to humans, fashioned in his image and accountable to him; whether
we embrace this duty or not is up to us. Stewardship entails compassionate management, not
selfish exploitation; it entails care for both the present and the future, as well as for oneself,
and a recognition that the world we govern has an interest in its own survival and well-being
regardless of its worth to us... Good stewardship needs fairness, honesty, sensitivity, and
compassion7.When understood as stewardship, the human duty is one of care and service,
performed on behalf of God and with accountability to God8.To be an effective steward,
whether in the feudal or commercial sense, one must first comprehend what is being
governed9. Humans should care for creation in conjunction with God's care for it, not in
substitute of God's care for creation10. Stewardship is about conserving rather than modifying.
Stewardship means that the rest of creation need us in some way. The stewarship paradigm is
a one-way connection in which people dominate and care for creation, but creation is only a
passive beneficiary of our efforts11. In Genesis 1:28 the land that is to be subdued is the same
land that is to be filled with humans. It appears that subduing the land relates to agriculture,
because the only way people can fill the land is to cultivate it and so make it provide more
food than it would on its own. The goal must be that people should not cultivate food in such
a way that it competes with the livelihoods of other living things12. Human earthiness denotes
affinity with the Earth and other earthy organisms, plants, and animals. A dominion or
stewardship theology fails to emphasize that we belong to the Earth more than it belongs to
us, that we are of the Earth rather than living on it. God breathes the breath of life into the
clay figure of Adam (Gen 2:7), the same breath that animates all living beings (Gen 7:22).13
Noah exemplified God's creative ideal of a peaceful and caring connection with animals. 14

7
Richard Bauckham, „Bible and Ecology“ (Waco, Tex. : Baylor University Press, 2010), 1 - 2
8
Ibid, 2
9
Ibid, 4
10
Ibid, 8
11
Ibid, 11
12
Ibid, 17
13
Ibid, 21
14
Ibid, 24
The use of the Earth and its species by humans is part of the fundamental interconnectedness
of all creation. It is a vital component of human life and accounts for a large portion of human
activities15. The image of God is inextricably linked to power over other beings. But image
must also be whatever it is about us that allows us to utilize that power responsibly and with
care. We have that type of God-awareness and moral sensibility that allows us to feel and
exert responsibility for creation on such a broad scale. It cannot be that other creatures do not
represent their Creator in any manner, but since we have a particularly broad involvement in
God's administration of creation, we must also reflect God's concern for his whole creation on
this Earth16. God intends human rule to be a type of loving responsibility for God's creatures.
Creation can also assist individuals who are already Christians in better understanding God.
For example, creation demonstrates how relational God is17. All creation (including
ourselves) is a result of the love that existed before time between the three persons of the
Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all of whom were participating as co-creators 18.
Knowing that God created a relational environment also reminds us that humans are not
supposed to live alone. We were made to have relationships with God, with one another, and
with the natural world. Plants, animals, and the systems God designed give us with air to
breathe, water to drink, and food to eat. We shall perish if we do not have these19. Nothing is
more harmful than the notion that our modern societies promote that we can get by on our
own. God created us to rely on him, each other, and the entire creation20. God adores and is
closely concerned with this planet. It is a two-way street involving both live and inanimate
items. God has given us a specific responsibility to care for the environment. However, this
does not imply we should be disheartened. Our tiny activities may appear insignificant or too
late on their own, yet God is devoted to incorporating us in his plans. He may weave our
insignificant efforts into his plans for sustaining and recreating the globe21. We must not
damage forests or deplete fish stocks in the seas because God loves them and wants us to
leave healthy stocks for future generations. We must not allow species to become extinct on
purpose or negligently since each species reveals something unique about God. Every time
one becomes extinct, we are essentially erasing another of God's fingerprints on our planet.
We must regard creation as a manifestation of God's character and as a possession of Jesus22.
15
Richard Bauckham, „Bible and Ecology“ (Waco, Tex. : Baylor University Press, 2010), 28
16
Ibid, 30
17
Dave Bookless, „Planet Wise“ (Nottingham: IVP, 2008), 32
18
Ibid, 33
19
Ibid, 34
20
Ibid
21
Ibid, 36
22
Dave Bookless, „Planet Wise“ (Nottingham: IVP, 2008), 46
Recognizing our role as humans begins with acknowledging that we are a part of creation.
There is a bond between mankind and every other creature on the planet. There is the truth
that humans were designed to be interdependent - to know and rely on one another. We
cannot truly know ourselves unless we recognize that we are frail, earthy creatures.23

23
Ibid, 48
Conclusions

God made man, male and female, in His own image (Genesis 1:26–27). No other terrestrial
life form bears the image of God or is of equal value or priority with human beings (Matthew
10:29–31). Though the earth is the LORD’s, He has also given it to men (Psalm 115:16) and
mandated that they be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over
everything that lives in it (Genesis 1:28). Therefore human dominion over the earth is, in
principle, not sinful, and the possibility of its abuse does not negate the righteousness of its
proper use. Godly human dominion over the earth means men and women, created in the
image of God, laboring together to enhance earth’s safety, fruitfulness, and beauty, to the
glory of God and the benefit of our neighbors. It does not mean humans are servants rather
than masters of the earth. When God had created Adam, He placed him in the Garden of
Eden, which is distinct from the rest of the earth, to cultivate and guard it (Genesis 2:15).
When the Bible speaks of God’s judgment on human societies because they have “polluted
the land,” the “pollution” in mind is consistently not chemical or biological but moral — the
pollution of idolatry, adultery, murder, oppression of the weak, and other violations of the
moral law of God expressed in the Ten Commandments. Godly dominion is a responsibility
for everyone at all times, regardless of eschatological perspective. Our obligation to love our
neighbors requires Godly dominion, whether the earth is to remain and be transformed, or be
annihilated and replaced, and whether Christ’s second coming and the final judgment are
moments away or thousands of years ahead.
Bibliography

Swoboda, A. J., „Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology“ (Grand Rapids: Backer Academics,

2014)

Richard Bauckham, „Bible and Ecology“ (Waco, Tex. : Baylor University Press, 2010)

Dave Bookless, „Planet Wise“ (Nottingham: IVP, 2008)

Bible: Psalm 115:16 (NLT)

Genesis 1:26–27 (NLT)

Genesis 1:28 (NLT)

Genesis 2:15 (NLT)

Genesis 2:7 (NLT)

Genesis 7:22 (NLT)

Matthew 10:29–31 (NLT)